Mesh implants are used in many applications to repair or restructure tissue, such as, but not limited to, skin, fat, fascia, or muscle. One common application for such mesh implants is in hernia repair, such as abdominal wall hernia repairs. A hernia is a protrusion of an organ or tissue through an opening or weakness in the walls that normally retain the organ or tissue within a confined space. Most commonly, hernias occur in the abdominal region; however, hernias may occur in many locations throughout the body, including but not limited to the head, thorax/chest, pelvis, groin, axilla, and upper and lower extremities. Hernia is one of the most common surgical pathologies. Approximately 4 million laparotomies are performed in the United States annually, and 2%-30% of them result in incisional hernias. It is estimated that approximately 20 million inguinal hernia operations are performed globally every year, and there are millions more incisional, ventral, and other types of hernias repaired. Traditionally, there are three main approaches to surgical hernia repairs: open, laparoscopic, and robotic hernioplasty. In all three types of repairs, the repaired tissue is reinforced by applying a mesh implant, which may be comprised of synthetic or biologic materials.
Hernias have a tendency to reoccur, and recurrence rates in open surgery have been reported to range from 15-25%. Current recommendations for hernia repair include the use of mesh implants because patients who undergo hernia repair without mesh experience a three-fold increase in recurrence rates compared to patients who undergo hernia repair with a mesh implant.